Pole-top switch structure



Aug. 11, 1964 J. G. PAHL POLE-TOP SWITCH STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1962 INVENTOR. John G d/JZ Aug. 11, 1964 J. G. PAHL POLE-TOP SWITCH STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed DeC. 3, 1962 United States Patent 3,144,526 POLE-TOP SWITCH STRUCTURE John G. Pahl, R0. Box 1257, Stockton, Calif. Filed Dec. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 241,716 10 Claims. (Cl. 2tl048) This invention relates to electrical equipment, and particularly to line switches such as are mounted on polesupported cross-arms and which are interposed between two current-carrying cables extending from pole to pole.

It frequently occurs that such cables approach a pole from opposite directions at a horizontal angle to each other, and a major object of this invention is to provide switch and cable supporting insulator units which are so mounted on a cross-arm as to be adjustable both to allow of the necessary sag of the cables, and to also accommodate them to the angularity of the cables, without placing any distorting strains on the insulator units due to such sag and angle of the cables.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the parts of the switch structure, and which parts are mounted on the insulator units, in such a manner that said Parts will efficiently cooperate with each other irrespective of the relative adjusted positions of the insulator units.

It is also an object or" the invention to provide a poletop switch structure which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable pole-top switch structure, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the improved switch structure as mounted on the cross-arm of a line pole; the switch being shown closed.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure, showing the specific mounting of the opposed cable-supporting insulator units relative to each other and to the cross-arm, and taken substantially on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the switch structure of the instant invention is mounted on a crossarm 1 of a line pole, and is interposed between opposed line cables 2 and 3. The structure comprises upstanding brackets 4 spaced lengthwise along the cross-arm 1, and which support a fixed horizontal pin 5 extending therebetween.

Swingable on the pin and extending the full distance between the brackets 4 is a mounting yoke 6, disposed clear of the cross-arm 1, and including ears 7 at one end projecting laterally out in facing relation to the cable 2, and an integral upstanding end wall 8 at the other end facing the cable 3.

The shank 9 of an insulator unit 10 which is disposed between the yoke 6 and the cable 2, projects into said yoke and is provided therein with a member 11 which engages over the pin 5 in universally swivelling relation centrally of the width of the yoke 6. The shank 9, which is circular, passes in turnably fitting relation through a plate 12 engaged against the ears 7. To one side of the shank, the plate 12 is formed with a transverse slot 13, through which a clamping bolt 14, mounted in the adjaice cent ear 7, projects. On the opposite side of the shank 9 the plate 12 is formed with an enlarged opening 15 through which a relatively small clamping bolt 16 projects, said bolt 16 being mounted in the adjacent ear 7.

Enlarged washers 17 are disposed about the two bolts 14 and 16 between the plate 12 and the nuts 18 of said bolts. By reason of the above features of construction, it will be seen that if the bolts 14 and 16 are initially loosened, the shank 9, and all parts rigid therewith, may be swung up, down, or sideways, within certain limits, about the relatively fixed point of engagement of the shank member 11 with the pin 5. When the desired angular position of the shank 9 has been obtained, tightening of the bolts 14 and 16 will clamp the plate 12 against the ears 7 and maintain the shank in such position.

The insulator unit 10 includes an extension 19 alined with the shank 9 and projecting beyond the insulator 26 toward the cable'Z, and which is swivelly connected at its outer end to a yoke 21 projecting lengthwise therefrom and to which the cable 2 is anchored in the conventional manner.

A rigid arm 22 projects upwardly from and is rigid with the insulator unit 1%) beyond the insulator 21) in a plane radially of the shank 9; the upper portion of said arm being turned back to overhang the shank some distance and to one side of the vertical plane of the same when the switch is closed. An elongated male switch blade 23 is rigid with and projects from the forward upper end of the arm 22 in a generally horizontal plane; said blade being disposed in a longitudinal plane at an opposite angle to that of the arm 22 itself.

The blade 23 is electrically connected to the cable 2 by means of a short length of cable 24 which extends from the rear end of said blade to a clamped connection with a clamping unit 25 secured on the upstanding portion of the arm 22 and to which the end portion of the cable 2 is also clamped, as shown in FIG. 1. The blade 23 is arranged for cooperation with and between the flaring side walls of the female member 26 of the switch, and which member is mounted in the manner which will now be described.

Integral with the end wall 8 of the block 6 and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a vertical yoke 27 which is engaged by ears 28 on the adjacent end of an insulator unit 29 facing in the direction opposite the insulator unit 16; the yoke and ears being connected by a vertical pin 30 which enables the unit 29 to swing from side to side relative to the block 6, but being rigid therewith as regards movement relative thereto in a vertical plane. Both units 10 and 29 are thus rigid with the block 6 (when the plate 12 is clamped against movement) in such vertical plane, and said units and the block can swing as a whole about the pin 5 as an axis.

The cable 3 is connected to the insulator unit 29 beyond the insulator 31 thereof by a yoke 32 which is pivoted on an axial extension 33 of the unit 29. Rigid with the unit 29 beyond the insulator 31 is an upwardly projecting rigid arm 34 disposed in a plane radially of the unit 29 and the upper portion of which arm is turned to provide a substantially horizontal portion 35 underlying and spaced a short distance below the switch blade 23 at a greater distance laterally from the vertical plane of the insulator units than said blade.

Disposed in engagement with the upper face of the arm portion 35 directly under the female switch member 26 is a transverse inverted channel 36, which is rigidly secured to the arm portion35 by inverted U-bolts 37 An upstanding, transversely extending yoke 40 which rests on the channel 36, and to which it is swivelly connected by a spring-engaged vertical bolt 41, allows the yoke 40 to swivel, but with a certain amount of resistance. The female switch member 26, which faces upwardly, projects between the sides of the yoke 40 in which said member is swung by transverse trunnions 42, Said member 26 is provided at its lower end, below the trunnions, with a weight-forming block 43, so as to yieldably hold the switch member in the desired substantially upright position.

A short length of flexible but relatively stiif cable 44 connects the rear side of the block 43 with a clamping unit 45 secured on the arm 34 intermediate its ends and to which the cable 3 is connected in dead-ended relation. The stiffness of the cable 44 enables the lineman, when installing the switch, to turn the switch member 26 both about the trunnions 42 and about the pivot bolt 41 of the yoke 40 as axes, so that said member 26 is properly positioned for cooperative engagement with the switch blade 23.

When the cables 2 and 3 have been connected to the respective insulator units 10 and 29, and said cables have assumed their natural sag and direction of approach to each other in a horizontal plane, the shank 9 of the insulator unit 10 is clamped against further movement relative to the insulator unit 29 by the means previously described. Also, the bolt 30 is then tightened to clamp the yoke 27 and cars 28 against relative movement, so that the unit 29 is then rigid with the yoke 6 against movement relative thereto in any direction. The female switch member 26 is then adjusted, if necessary along the arm portion 35 or about the same so as to dispose such member 26 in the necessary cooperating relationship with the switch blade 23. Once so positioned, a final adjustment of the member 26 may be made by manipulation of the cable 44, as previously described.

The arms 22 and 34, and parts connected thereto, are thereafter in fixed relation to each other as regards movement lengthwise of the cables 2 and 3, and the arm 34 cannot swing to one side or the other.

The insulator unit 10, however, can rotate in a lateral direction about its universal connection with the pin as an axis. Such rotation is imparted thereto when necessary to engage the switch blade 23 with the female switch member 26 by means of a radial arm 46 rigid with and depending from the insulator unit behind the insulator 20.

A push-pull rod 47 is connected to the lower end of the arm 46 and extends transversely or parallel to the cross-arm 1 to a conventional form of control means depending alongside the line pole toward the ground an arrangement which enables a number of separate insulator units to be simultaneously actuated when such units are all mounted on the one cross-arm. Assuming that the switch is initially closed, a pull on the rod 47 will cause the initial slant of the arm 22 to be reduced relative to a vertical plane. This movement of the arm 22 will thus cause the blade 23 to be both raised and swung laterally out of engagement with the switch member 26.

It will thus be seen that by reason of the specific mounting and arrangement of the cable-supporting insulator units relative to each other and to the cables, both the angle of said units caused by the sag of the cables and the angles of the cables in a horizontal plane relative to each other are alined with the longitudinal axes of the units so that no unnecessary distorting strains are placed thereon. At the same time, the cooperating switch members may be adjusted relative to each other so as to function efiiciently with any setting of the insulator units relative to each other.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth herein the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations therefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. In a pole-top switch structure for cross-arm mounting, brackets mounted in spaced relation on and lengthwise of the cross-arm, a yoke disposed between the brackets, a horizontal pivot pin fixed in and extending between the brackets and on which the yoke is rockably mounted, one insulator unit projecting from one end of the yoke and rigid therewith against movement relative thereto in a vertical plane, said unit being adapted at its outer end for connection to one line cable, another insulator unit projecting from the other end of the yoke and adapted at its outer end for connection to another line cable, said other unit including an axial shank, means connecting the shank to the pivot pin for universal swivel movement relative thereto, and means between the shank and said other end of the yoke to adjustably clamp the shank against swivel movement relative to the yoke from any swivelled position of the shank relative to the pin; there being cooperating disengageable switch elements mounted on the units in spaced relation to the yoke and connected to the related cables.

2. A pole-top switch structure, as in claim 1, in which the last named means comprises a vertical plate over said other end of the yoke and through which the shank projects in turnable and guided relation, and means mounting the plate on the yoke for adjustment horizontally and for independent movement in a vertical plane.

3. In a pole-top switch structure for cross-arm mounting, brackets mounted in spaced relation on and lengthwise of the cross-arm, a yoke disposed between the brackets, a horizontal pivot pin fixed in and extending between the brackets and on which the yoke is rockably mounted, one insulator unit projecting from one end of the yoke and rigid therewith against movement relative thereto in a vertical plane, said unit being adapted at its outer end for connection to one line cable, another insulator unit projecting from the other end of the yoke and adapted at its outer end for connection to another line cable, said other unit including an axial shank, means connecting the shank to the pivot pin for universal swivel movement relative thereto, ears on and projecting laterally out from said other end of the yoke, a vertical plate having an opening through which the yoke projects in guided relation and engaged against the outer faces of the cars, a plate clamping bolt mounted in one ear and passing through a longitudinal slot in the plate, and another plate clamping bolt in the other ear passing through a relatively large opening in the plate; there being cooperating disengageable switch elements mounted on the units in spaced relation to the yoke and connected to the related cables.

4. A pole-top switch structure for cross-arm mounting comprising a yoke mounted on the cross-arm, opposed insulator units projecting from the yoke transversely of the cross-arm in generally alined relation with each other and connected at opposite ends to line cables, one unit including an axial shank turnably mounted in the yoke, an arm rigid with and upstanding from the outer end of said one unit and disposed in a plane at an angle to the vertical plane of the shank, the upper end portion of the arm being turned in a direction parallel to the shank to overlie the cross-arm, a switch element rigid with and projecting from the upper end of the arm and operatively connected to the related cable, another arm rigid with and upstanding from the other unit and including a generally horizontal upper end portion turned toward the upper end portion of the first arm and disposed below and t0 h S 0 t e same further out from said vertical plane of the shank, a switch element mounted on the last named upper end arm portion facing and disposed for engagement with the first named switch element when the arm of the first named unit is in said angled position, and control means to rotate the shankto swing the related arm toward and from said vertical plane to respectively engage and disengage the switch elements from each other.

5. A pole-top switch structure for cross-arm mounting comprising a yoke mounted on the cross-arm, opposed insulator units projecting from the yoke transversely of the cross-arm in generally alined relation with each other and connected at opposite ends to line cables, one unit including an axial shank turnably mounted in the yoke, an arm rigid with and upstanding from the outer end of said one unit and disposed in a plane at an angle to the vertical plane of the shank, the upper end portion of the arm being turned in a direction parallel to the shank to overlie the cross-arm, a male switch blade rigid with and projecting lengthwise from the upper end of the arm and operatively connected to the related cable, another arm rigid with and upstanding from the other unit and including a generally horizontal upper end portion turned toward the upper end portion of the first arm and disposed below and to the side of the same further out from said vertical plane of the shank, an upwardly facing V-shaped female switch element mounted on the last named arm portion and disposed at an angle opposite that of the related arm for engagement with the blade when the arm of the first named unit is in said angled position, a length of cable connecting said female element with the related line cable, and control means to rotate the shank to swing the related arm toward and from said vertical plane to respectively engage and disengage the blade from the female element.

6. A pole-top switch structure, as in claim 5, with means mounting the female switch element on the arm portion for adjustment along the same.

7. A pole-top switch structure, as in claim 5, with means mounting the female switch element on the arm portion for rotative adjustment about the same.

8. A pole-top switch structure, as in claim 5, with means mounting the female switch element on the arm portion for rotation relative thereto about an upstanding axis.

9. A pole-top switch structure, as in claim 5, with means mounting the female switch element on the arm portion for rotation relative thereto about an upstanding axis and independently about a transverse axis at right angles to said upstanding axis.

10. A pole-top switch structure, as in claim 5, in which said length of cable is flexible but relatively stiff and is connected to the female switch element below said transverse axis.

No references cited. 

1. IN A POLE-TOP SWITCH STRUCTURE FOR CROSS-ARM MOUNTING, BRACKETS MOUNTED IN SPACED RELATION ON AND LENGTHWISE OF THE CROSS-ARM, A YOKE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BRACKETS, A HORIZONTAL PIVOT PIN FIXED IN AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE BRACKETS AND ON WHICH THE YOKE IS ROCKABLY MOUNTED, ONE INSULATOR UNIT PROJECTING FROM ONE END OF THE YOKE AND RIGID THEREWITH AGAINST MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID UNIT BEING ADAPTED AT ITS OUTER END FOR CONNECTION TO ONE LINE CABLE, ANOTHER INSULATOR UNIT PROJECTING FROM THE OTHER END OF THE YOKE AND ADAPTED AT ITS OUTER END FOR CONNECTION TO ANOTHER 